Senators Coons, Leahy introduce bill to create 91 new judgeships - (WOW !!!) - (OP updated)

[Tx4obama]

Senators Coons, Leahy introduce bill to create 91 new judgeships

Legislation is based on recommendations of nonpartisan Judicial Conference led by Chief Justice John Roberts

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts, and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday to create 91 new federal judgeships in two federal circuits and 32 judicial districts across 21 states. The Federal Judgeship Act of 2013 is based on the recommendations of the nonpartisan Judicial Conference of the United States, which is led by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts. The legislation and the issue of judgeships will also be the subject of a Judiciary Committee hearing in September.

“Congress has left the judicial staffing of our federal courts essentially unchanged for 23 years, despite rapidly growing caseloads,” Senator Coons said. “This bill would provide much-needed relief to our overburdened courts, ensuring that they are better prepared to administer justice quickly and efficiently. Increasing the number judgeships will help cases move more quickly, reduce uncertainty preventing businesses from creating jobs, and permit every American who has been wronged to get their day in court.”

“Federal judges are working harder than ever, but in order to maintain the integrity of the Federal courts and the expediency that justice demands, judges must have a manageable workload,” Senator Leahy said. “This good government bill will improve the effectiveness of our Federal courts and provide Federal judges with the resources to promptly render the justice that Americans so desperately need and deserve.”

-snip-

http://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/releases/release/senators-coons-leahy-introduce-bill-to-create-91-new-judgeships

Democrats Introduce Judges Bill Based on Non-Anonymous Public Statements

http://blog.pfaw.org/content/democrats-introduce-judges-bill-based-non-anonymous-public-statements

Edited to add..

The two BIG problems I see with this is 'time' and the republicans obsession with obstruction.

IF this bill were to pass let's say by the beginning of next year - that would leave president Obama with only three years to fill those additional 91 new seats.

As it is NOW there is a current total of 84 vacant seats: 16 vacancies on the United States Courts of Appeals and 68 vacancies on the United States district courts. And 19 announced federal judicial vacancies that will occur before the end of Obama's second term (bringing the total up to 103 without the new bill's passage).

So, if the bill were to pass then that would mean that between now and January 20, 2017 the U.S. Senate would need to confirm a total of 194 judicial nominees.
I can't see that happening. And IF Obama were not able to get most if not all of the 194 judges confirmed then IF a republican goes into the White House in 2017 then he/she would be the one filling the remaining seats

[Sunlei]

1. excellent. as population grows, the judges and the SC should double at least.

[meow2u3]

2. Pass a bill expanding the SCOTUS by 2 more Justices

This way, Obama can nominate 2 progressives to SCOTUS and the RW 5-4 specials that rob Americans of their constitutional rights can be reversed by LW 6-5 specials.
It would be the right's turn to be pissed off at SCOTUS for a change

[Tx4obama]

3. That will never happen - no one will agree to change it from its current number of nine.

But one can dream

[kestrel91316]

4. Well we certainly will be needing them as ever more Americans find their

way into our for-profit prison system, never to emerge.

[usregimechange]

5. kick